[Magdalen] Where to go? - update

[Roger Stokes]

On 15/12/2014 18:30, Ann Markle wrote:
> Roger, I scanned the many posts on this thread before I replied, and I
> didn't see a mention, so -- Buffalo is 15 minutes from Niagara Falls, if
> you haven't seen that.  The city itself sits right on Lake Erie, which is
> striking now, with all the lovely waterfront development.  And Lake Ontario
> is also 1/2 hour from here.  A lovely drive is Niagara Falls, then along
> the lakeshore to Lake Ontario and then on to Lockport to catch the locks on
> the Erie Canal (there is also a lock right here in Buffalo, a 5-minute
> drive or 15 minute bicycle ride from either downtown or my house.  Lots and
> lots of other fascinating sights in Buffalo, including Forest Lawn
> Cemetery, burial ground to at least 2 US Presidents, if I'm not mistaken,
> the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural site, Delaware Park (designed by
> Olmstead), the Albright Knox Art Gallery (judged to be one of the best
> collections of contemporary art in the US, and also home to a decent
> collection of Impressionist paintings), and several Frank Lloyd
> Wright-designed homes.  We're also right on the Amtrak line between Albany
> and Chicago, and 1.5 hour drive from Toronto.  I think we're definitely a
> must-see.

Following Marion's suggestion for Montreal, Quebec and over to Halifax I 
devised an itinerary and sent to my travel consultant. She agreed it 
sounded very attractive - but the price wasn't :-(  I think it would 
stretch my budget too far. As I get used to my changed circumstances I 
think it would be unwise to commit myself to that level of expenditure 
next year so this afternoon I have had a rethink.

That is to visit parts of the Northern USA that I haven't been in 
before, though it does involve flying into and back from Chicago. The 
preliminary itinerary is basically East of there, going as far as 
Scranton and does include a couple of nights in Buffalo on the way back, 
a city I have only seen in transit before on the train and between 
Rochester and Niagara (which I did see back in 2012).  This year I did 
not get as far East as Ann's old haunt in Asheville TN, but I did get 
part way there before cutting up at Hickory to reach the Smoky Ridge 
Parkway and the glorious Fall foliage.

I hope to travel over in June next year, more details as and when.

Roger